


Everything Right Here

by Willowingends



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/F, Friendship/Love, Implied/Referenced Character Death, friends to lovers kinda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-23
Updated: 2016-02-23
Packaged: 2018-05-22 20:29:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6093130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Willowingends/pseuds/Willowingends
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cho had lost many things in her life. Her sense of wonder, her thirst for the unknown, her sense of peace, her stability, her first love. But she hadn't lost Marietta, and she refused to allow Marietta to be alone. They were the rocks in the storm, solid only because they clung to each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Everything Right Here

Gentle hands drifted over skin scarred, the harsh marks in a formation that spelled SNEAK, and soft whispers echoed through the Ravenclaw seventh year girl's dorm. It was the first day back and, mercifully, the room was empty. Many of the other students were busy catching up with their friends after the summer, but Cho knew exactly what her best friend had been doing all summer. Again she let her hand drift over Marietta's cheeks, and she tried to smile encouragingly even as she felt sadness for her friend curl up to sit upon her already heavy heart.

The pimples had long since faded, but their red marks still lasted upon her friend's skin. A few had faded but three of them had left scars already, forming a loosely shaped S upon her cheeks. Part of Cho marveled at the length of the spell Granger had cast, a larger part of her despised the horrible punishment that had been bestowed upon her friend for what she viewed as a small act of cowardness. Not all of them had the courage of a Gryffindor and she felt that the young woman before her did not deserve to carry the marks of that moment of weakness for the rest of her life. 

“It's not that bad Marietta.” She assured her, drawing her hand back and brushing away the light red hair that had fallen in front of Marietta's eyes. “You can barely see it now. A good foundation and it'll hide it right up, and the scars don't even feel that much different from the rest of your skin.”

She knew instantly that had been the wrong thing to say in the way her best friend's eyes grew dark with a moment's grief and anger. “Oh Marietta.” She murmured softly, leaning forward to pull her into a tight hug. “No one's going to hate you for what you look like. And not for what you did. If it hadn't been you it would have been someone else.”

“All of Dumbledore's Army,” and she spat the name of the group they had once both belonged to, “hates me still.” Marietta pulled away from Cho's embrace, moving to pull her blankets up around her like a shield from the world. It was an action she did quite often these days, whether it be a sheet or her shirt or a book.

“For events that happened more than a year ago. They're young, and petty, and afraid. They don't realize what it was like for you, torn in so many directions. You had Umbridge on your back, your mother's career on the line, me being to absorbed in moving on than in helping you. You were afraid and if they can't understand that then they don't have the right to judge you.” Cho argued back, her voice soft through her reasonings. She wanted her friend to move passed the events of the last year, to focus on bettering themselves. She knew something horrible was coming and just wanted Marietta to focus on learning to protect herself, on securing a way to survive to live the best life Cho believed she deserved. It was the least she could do for her, in the end. To stand by her side when everyone else was distancing themselves fast, Cho could do that. Marietta had done the same thing for her when she had her breakdown after Cedric's death. She couldn't leave her to face everyone's disdain on her own.

Gently she tugged the blanket away from Marietta's face and caressed her cheek with the back of her hand. “You've grown, you're growing. You're getting passed it.” She repeated the phrases Marietta had whispered to her long into dark nights when she was crying from grief, from fear. “You'll never forget it, but you're learning how to function again. And people will see that, or they'll forget what you've done, or they just won't care. And you'll do fine.”

“I don't want to do fine, I want to do better!” Marietta snapped back, her anger a sharp counterpoint to Cho's compassion. She tugged the blanket so hard it ripped between her and Cho, and she stared at the rip in the dark blue fabric. With a loud huff, she fell back into her bed, the rip in the blanket falling just so that it still showed her face even though she'd been trying to hide it. Cho stifled a laugh, because it would be cruel to laugh at her friend's frustration. 

Instead she leaned forward and gently pressed a kiss to Marietta's forehead. “In the morning things will be better, I promise.” She said softly. “We'll return to class, no one will stare at you, and I'll be right by your side.”

A noncommittal grunt was the only answer she got in reply, and Cho shook her head as she pushed herself up off of the edge of the bed. Some days it was impossible to get through to Marietta, and she should have known today would be one of those days. Marietta had to face everyone at school again, knowing that she had been on the wrong side of the movement. There had been whispers, and Cho had done her best to deflect them, to chatter over them. It hadn't worked very well, but at least she had tried. At least she hadn't left her alone. She'd never leave her alone as long as she needed Cho by her side. It was the perfect repayment for how much Marietta had helped her.

Settling into her own bed, Cho brought the familiar blankets close around her. The royal blue fabric comforted her, felt more like home than her own place had all summer. Marietta had refused to visit as she was busy hunting for a cure to the jinx placed upon her face. Her parents hadn't wanted her traveling far from the house as it was now that the ministry had confirmed He Who Must Not Be Named had returned. Cho's own parents had been extremely upset with her involvement with an illegal. at the time, group and had revoked her broom and floo privileges, effectively stranding her in their little country home. A home that had been filled with tension, unhappiness, and such careful movements to prove she was behaving and doing her best for them all.

Which required her not to break down into tears, or show any emotions besides that of determination to protect the family. It had made her head ache, all of the spell practicing once she turned seventeen, made her wrist tired from all the wand twirling. It had made her unbelievably tired, the emotional exhaustion. She knew they were just worried about her staying safe, but it had made her house a place she wanted to run from, and now that she was at Hogwarts, she felt truly safe and relaxed again. 

It was hard to think that this school, which last year she had dreaded returning to because of the memories of Cedric, had become the place she longed for. For the safety of being herself, for companionship and the chance to explore her own interests.

For Marietta.

Cho blushed a delicate color as she thought of how much she had missed Marietta. How she had wanted nothing more than to see her best friend, to make sure she was safe, to make sure that she still made Cho feel happy as well. Not that she had ever really doubted her friend's ability to make her smile. Marietta had been the only one beside her after Cedric died, she had longed for Marietta at her side when He Who Must Not Be Named was publicly announced returned. She had wanted Marietta so she could hold her hand and she could stroke Marietta's hair and just for them to be together.

It wasn't scary, her attraction to Marietta. It was almost relieving, to know her heart was not broken forever. To know that she had no lost the ability to care so greatly out of fear of what could happen to her as a result. 

She had known for a long time she liked girls as well as boys, but she had never thought to fall in love again after Cedric. But didn't all first loves feel like that? Strong and wonderful and devastating when they ended? Although their love, she didn't think it had ended. It had gotten cut short, and she knew she would never really get over Cedric. But she also knew Marietta knew that, and could respect that if not understand it.

What else could she want from a friend? 

And in return she knew she could never hate Marietta. She could never hold against her a moment's weakness as so many others did. She could never abandon her friend in any manner. She adored her too much to let her sadness and anger devour her. And maybe she could one day do more for her. She wished to do so much for Marietta. 

Rolling on to her side, Cho let her eyes drift over Marietta again. Simply seeing the other seventeen year old beside her made her nerves relax and a small smile appear on her face. The way her hair fell across her face, a face so much more peaceful in sleep. The way her eyes were no longer narrowed agaisnt threat or danger, but relaxed. It made Cho smile, made Cho happier than she'd been all summer. She felt relaxed and certain that Marietta was at this moment, safe, if not happy. And that would be enough for the night. That would be enough.

Sleep crept quietly over her, and Cho fell asleep facing Marietta, a smile upon her face and her hand relaxed upon the sheets rather than clenched tightly, as though she was holding on to something she was afraid to let go. She had it, now, just a moment's breath away.


End file.
